Burke Mountain is about to score major points with environmentally-thinking, off-piste-loving, run-tallying skiers and riders. The mountain rolled out the first leg of a multi-year improvement plan with the addition of a new high speed quad, 10 more acres of terrain and a wind tower for the 2011/2012 season.

“This is the first part of our plan to re-energize Burke,” General Manager and VP of Development Tim McGuire said. ”Collectively, these on-mountain additions enrich the truly unique experience not found at any other Vermont resort.”The new “Mid Burke Express” is a high speed detachable quad that cuts the time to the summit by more than half. No more losing valuable daylight spending 12-15 minutes on the Willoughby Quad. The Mid Burke Express reaches the top in just five minutes.The expanded terrain adds a total of five trails and gladed runs for intermediates and experts, including:Upper Lift Line (intermediate), Rerun (expert), Upper Power Line (expert), Lower Power Line (expert) and Jester (a terrain park trail).Burke has even turned blowy conditions into a “no loss” scenario, literally. The new wind tower, which started producing power at the end of August, will help offset approximately 15 to 20 percent of the resort’s power needs—roughly the same amount consumed by the new lift annually. Talk about zero emissions.

Wind tower at Burke Mountain. Photo courtesy Burke Mountain Resort.

“In addition to the wind turbine, Burke has committed to a number of programs over the past several years including: resort-wide recycling, composting of food waste, a green product purchase program, use of locally-grown foods, waste oil reuse, and ongoing internal energy audits and retrofits,” McGuire said. So throw some natural wax on your skis or board, hop in your hybrid and get ready to shred at Burke.

To learn more about Burke's expansion and eco initiatives, click here.